


Invisible Touch O.C. Edition

by Gabriel_Is_My_Guardian_Angel89



Series: Bound To You [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Awkward Flirting, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel destroys a flannel, Grace use, Heavy Petting, Jealous Gabriel (Supernatural), Karaoke, Pre-smut, Sam's Flannel, Self-Esteem Issues, angelic headcanon pertaining to grace, grace flares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 22:52:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16376555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabriel_Is_My_Guardian_Angel89/pseuds/Gabriel_Is_My_Guardian_Angel89
Summary: this is an edit of my reader fic Invisible Touch.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i changed it to an o.c. fic to try and make it easier on myself to write the follow up that i so badly want to write. hopefully this will get the juices flowing. don't worry, i will leave the original up too.

Chapter One

 

-Yesterday-

 

Christa’s P.O.V.

 

Christa had been running herself ragged for the past month, going from case to case with hardly a day or in-between. So, when Sam found a Vamp case out in Ohio yesterday, she asked if they thought they could handle it on their own. She wanted to take some time to recharge and this was the perfect opportunity.

She had been in her room reading when Sam came to let her know they were heading out. “We should be back in about three days” he said, poking his head through the open door. “I’ll give up or Gabriel a call if something happens.”

“Gabe?” She looked up from her book at that. “He’s not going with you guys?”

“No. He said he wasn’t feeling up to it right now.” Sam threw Christa one of his signature bitch-faces and rolled his eyes. “Though honestly, I think he’s just being lazy. It’s not like his Grace is low at the moment. Anyways, I told him how you were staying back too, and that you wanted to catch up on some rest. He said he would make sure not to bother you.”   
Christa barely heard anything Sam was saying through the buzzing in her ears that had started after he had mentioned that Gabriel would be staying too. She was trying to keep back the blush she could feel rising to her cheeks. __So much for relaxing__ , she thought to herself. How could she relax knowing she was all alone with a certain whiskey-eyed archangel? An archangel she just happened to be head-over-heels for. Now Christa just felt like spending the next few days hiding out in her room, trying to avoid Gabriel. It was just too hard to focus on anything else but him whenever she found herself around him. The few times the two of them were in same room alone, she became flustered and an awkward silence would fall between them. Every time, Christa was sure he could hear her heart rate spike, sure he could see every little fidget she made, though he never mentioned it. That, at least, she was grateful for. If he sensed any difference in her composure, he didn’t bring it up.

Alternatively, that fact also made her certain he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. He seemed the type who would have teased Christa endlessly about it if he had felt anywhere near the same way. Sure, he would throw the random eye-waggle her way whenever he made a pun or slipped some innuendo into the conversation when the guys were around, but when she was alone with him, it almost seemed like he would purposefully avoid making eye contact with her. Most times, he would find some excuse to leave the room after a few minutes of silence.

Christa was jolted out of her heart-sinking reverie when Sam’s voice suddenly cuts through the fog of self-doubt in her mind.

“Christa”, Sam questions in a concerned tone. “You okay?”

She shook her head slightly to clear it of her brooding thoughts. “Yeah, I-I’m fine. Just having a hard time staying awake. Let me come say goodbye to Dean and Cas, then I can crash for the night.”

She wearily pulled herself up from the bed and followed Sam out to the bunker’s foyer where Dean and his blue-eyed angel stood near the stairs. Tired as she was, Christa couldn’t forgo giving each of them a hug and the standard “good luck”. She gave Dean and Cas a quick hug and turned to do the same with Sam, when he suddenly pulled her into a nearly bone-crushing squeeze that lasted a few seconds longer than usual.

“Oof! Easy there, Moose, I want to sleep but I don’t want to pass out from lack of oxygen. What was that for, anyways?”

“Oh, nothing. Just thought you needed it,” he responded, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. Christa didn’t notice his eyes quickly dart towards the dimly lit hallway before he reached his hand out to her cheek. His thumb briefly caressed her jaw as he leaned in and softly placed a kiss on Christa’s nose.

As he pulled back, she thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned her head to look, there was nothing there. Still, Christa had the odd feeling of being watched. Flexing her shoulders in an attempt to shake off the shiver travelling up her spine, she looked back up at Sam, a silent question in her eyes.

“You can be so odd sometimes Sam, sweet as pie, but odd. Now, you three stay safe out there and if it turns out to be more than you thought, call me right away.”

Christa leaned against the railing as she watched the hunters and the angel walk up the stairs and out the door. When the door softly thudded closed behind them, she went to make sure all the appropriate wards were still in place. As Christa walked down the hallway back to her room, she felt that primordial, ‘I’m being watched’ shiver course up her spine again. She whirled around to see if someone was there, but of course, the hallway was still empty.

“Get a grip, Christa. No one’s here; you’re just imagining things ‘cause you’ve been up way too long. You just need sleep. Eight solid hours of glorious slumber and you’ll be right as rain.” She mumbled to herself, trying to rid her mind of that feeling.

She continued through the bunker to her door without incident. Forgetting for the moment the fact that Gabriel could return at any given moment, she left the door open behind her as she flopped unceremoniously onto her bed. She had showered just a couple hours ago and changed into sweats and an over-sized shirt she had borrowed from Sam, so she felt no need to go through the process again. Christa barely had the sense of mind to scramble awkwardly under the covers before she finally succumbed to that sweet relief of unconsciousness.

She never even heard the soft rustle of wings outside her door, nor saw the shadow that lingered in her doorway as the light of the hall seeped into her room.


	2. Chapter 2

****Chapter Two** **

 

Gabriel’s POV

 

Why? Why was he always such a coward? Sure, when he was around most women he put on a charming bravado that would have put Casanova to shame. Heck, he even managed to spit out some witty one-liners and silly puns, as long as other people were in the room. But, whenever he was alone with __her__ , it was like he forgot what words were. For Pete’s sake, he’s the Messenger of God, yet one look from Christa and he would lose the ability to form a coherent sentence. It didn’t help that when they were alone, he could see the flush that would color her cheeks and hear the thudding of her heart increase in speed. Time, and time again, he was tempted to listen to her thoughts, but he had sworn to himself that he wouldn’t betray her trust like that. He would just have to suffer in silence, using every bit of his self-control to keep his Grace in check when he felt it start to spread out to his fingertips and every time he felt his feathers bristle with static. Without anyone there to distract him from her every move, he would barely be able to make a reasonable excuse to leave before he lost his senses.

He couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t take the chance of her rejecting him. For all he knew, the way Christa acted around him wasn’t out of desire at all, but the complete opposite. That would make more sense. After all, what could she possibly see in him anyway? Set aside the fact that his vessel was on the shorter end of the average male, why would a strong, smart, independent beauty like her ever want him? And even if by some miracle she did, it would be better for her, safer, if they stayed apart. He was an archangel. There were all sorts of creatures out there who would do anything for a notch like that on their belt. Even resort to kidnapping, if they thought it would bring him within their grasp. Sure, she was a great hunter, but he didn’t know what he would do if she died, especially if it was because of him. No, being with him was a risk he couldn’t ask her to take.

And so, he went on for months, biting his tongue and trying his hardest to avoid being alone with her. But when the other three found the vamp case and Sam told him Christa was staying behind, he decided to hang around, so he could keep an eye on her. Knowing she needed rest, he planned to keep his distance. He was hanging back in hallway as she said her goodbyes to the boys and his brother. When he saw Sam give her a hug that lasted more than could be considered normal, he could feel his wings rankle in disdain. And then, when Sam leaned over to kiss her on the nose, his hand caressing her tenderly, he nearly lost it. He fled immediately to his room to stop himself from doing something he would later regret, like snapping Sam to Mars. As much as it hurt him to see that, he had to admit that Sam would be better suited for her. He was strong, a dedicated hunter, and there was less of a chance of the whole kidnapping scenario. If it came to that though, he would have to leave. He wouldn’t be able to stand seeing them together all the time. It would just be too much.

He tuned his hearing toward the front of the hallway and could just hear the bunker’s doors closing. Good. That whole ordeal was over. He could hear her footsteps and his curiosity got the better of him. Using his Grace, he made himself invisible and went to see what she was up to. He caught up with Christa just as she was heading back to her room. He slowed down as she turned around suddenly as though she knew he was there. When she reached her room, he lingered back a few feet, listening for the click of the door against the jamb. When two minutes had passed without that distinct sound, he slowly made his way over to her room, unable to mind his own business.

Her door was still open halfway, just enough to let in the glow of the hall sconces. He peered in, and the sight in front of him took his breath away. She had already fallen asleep, her face towards the door, the covers only halfway over her torso. When he saw that, his feathers ruffled; she was wearing one of Sam’s shirts. He took a deep breath to control his Grace as he felt a pang of jealousy at that realization. He studied her a minute longer before heading back to his room for the night. Celestial beings may not need sleep, but he didn’t think it would be right to just stand there and watch her all night, even if she wouldn’t seem him if she woke. No, he would spend the next eight hours tormenting himself with every possible outcome of Christa’s future, both with and without him.


	3. Chapter 3

****Chapter Three** **

 

Christa’s P.O.V.

 

The sound of her phone's alarm woke Christa up. She stretched and reached over to press the dismiss button, noting that the time now read 9:32. That's got to be the latest she’s slept in till in months. It's a decidedly nice change from the usual up-at-the-crack-of-dawn routine of the hunter lifestyle. Feeling quite well-rested for once, she got out of bed and started to gather her things for a nice, long shower to start the day.

As she gathered her towel, underclothes and toiletries, Christa noticed that her favorite shampoo isn't with the rest of her stuff. She looked around the room, wondering if she had moved it. After a few minutes of searching bears no result, she remembered that Sam had borrowed it the other day, claiming he had run out and no one was up to going on a run that day.

She took the bath items she did have and headed down the hall to Sam's room. As she drew near to his door, Christa felt that prickle at the back of her neck that she felt last night; as though someone was right behind her. She cast a quick glance but see nothing there, so she just shook it off once again. She took a step into Sam's room and paused for a second, wondering where he could have placed the shampoo. She looked around and notice it up on the shelf above his bed.

Christa set her things down on the desk by the door and head over to the shelf. She felt thankful once again that these shelves were already here when the boys found the bunker and not put in by Sam himself, enabling her to just be able to reach the bottle by standing on her toes rather than needing to drag the chair over to stand on. She grabbed the bottle of strawberries and cream scented shampoo, gathered her stuff and headed out the door, when Christa remembered that she forgot to root around for a shirt to wear before she left her room. She was down to her laundry day clothes since no one had gotten around to it in the past two weeks. Deciding she'd have better luck finding something decent in Sam's closet than her own, she walked over and looked through the seemingly endless row of plaid. After a minute of searching, she settled on one of his short-sleeved flannels in red and black.

With the shirt draped over her arm, Christa finally made her way to the bunker’s showers. Eager to start her day, she made quick work of her morning routine, only taking a couple extra minutes to relax as the scent of the shampoo mingled into the steamy air while she lathered up her long, dark hair. After she finished rinsing out the shampoo, she carefully walk over to the row of sinks and mirrors along the wall by the door. Before wrapping herself in her towel, Christa looked herself over in the mirror. The hunter’s life has started to catch up with her already, leaving small scars on her arms and torso and one in particular on the side of her neck that leads her to keeping her hair down most of the time.

She ran her fingers along each scar, her heart sinking further with each passing second. Sure, most of the time they were barely visible, but she couldn't help but always remember they were there. How could anyone ever want someone so damaged? Especially an archangel who, at least in her opinion, was perfect? Yeah, he may have had some character flaws; like his snarky, sassy attitude, a sweet-tooth that had no end, and a tendency not to know when a joke was going too far; but to Christa, that just made him seem more human.

Physically though...where to start? His hair that shone like honey in the sunlight and yet somehow looked like chocolate and caramel when he stepped into the shade. His gorgeous eyes, eyes that changed from a warm whiskey color to golden brown or hazel, depending on his mood. Arms with just the right amount of muscle, legs that were longer than she'd have thought given his vessel's height, and a torso that had the perfect definition and toning to it; healthy and a hint of a six-pack without looking like he was trying too hard.

Of course, being an archangel, it wouldn't have mattered which vessel he was in. He radiated a magnificence and regality that sometimes times caught Christa off guard and left her breathless. His Grace showed through in every movement. Every step full of thought and yet somehow fluid at the same time. At times, she'd catch herself just staring at him as he walked across the room, trying to study every movement; she would silently admonish herself and shake off the mesmiration she seemed to be caught up in. Even when up to his silly tricks and pranks, his face lit up with angelic beauty.

How could she even hope that someone with a beauty that existed on so many levels could ever look at her and see past the scars? It was delusional to think she stood the slightest chance of having her affections returned by a being like Gabriel. Yet, she just couldn't let go of that small shred of hope. Christa clung to the hope that the way he acted around her when she were alone with him was because he just couldn’t think of a way to express himself.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, she looked back into the mirror and steeled herself for the day ahead. She put on Sam's shirt and slipped into her favorite pair of comfy lounging-around pants. Casting another glance at herself, Christa hesitated before deciding to put her hair up in a ponytail with the hair tie she always kept around her wrist, not caring if Gabriel ended up seeing the scar that was now visible. If he did like her, he would have to like all of her; and if not, then what did it matter anyway? Taking a deep breath, she left the bathroom and headed back to her room to put her stuff away and check her phone.

Once she were in her room and had put away her toiletries and hung the towel up on the hook on the door to dry, Christa grabbed her phone of the bedside table and noticed that it was only 10am now. She decided to turn on her playlist to listen to as she headed to the kitchen to start coffee and breakfast. A bounce made its way into her step as she wound down the halls through the bunker, the music and the lingering warmth from the shower working their magic on her soul. It was amazing how much a mood could be lifted just by relaxing. This break in routine was just what she needed.

As she passed the entry to the library on her way to the kitchen, Christa noticed Gabriel sitting in one of the chairs, thumbing through a book and eating a jelly doughnut. She stopped and shook her head at the sight. She put her playlist on pause for the moment.

“You know, if you get the pages sticky, Sam’ll kill you, right?”

Gabriel looked up quick enough to give her second-hand whiplash and gulped audibly. A snap of his fingers later, the book was back on its shelf and the remnants of the doughnut vanished into the ether. He stood up from his awkward position in the chair and straightened his shirt longer than seemed necessary.

“Uh, hey there kiddo! Surprised you’re not still sleeping. Sam told me you needed to rest up a bit. Anyways, you know I wouldn't harm a poor, innocent book, even to jerk Sam's chain.” He flashed Christa a look she couldn't quite place the emotion of. Anger? Pain? But neither of those made sense in the situation, so she let it go as he continued talking. “So, you feeling any better? You look...different.”

“Good different or bad different?” she asked cautiously, half-afraid of the answer.

“Um, uh, good different, of course! I meant good different. Is...is that...is that Sam's? The shirt?” His eyes flashed again and this time she definitely detected anger there, though she wasn't sure why.

“Yeah. All my good shirts are dirty still, so I grabbed one from Sam's room. Are you okay? I mean, you usually aren't up for much talking. I think that’s the most you’ve said to me in a month. Don’t get me wrong, it's better than you leaving after five minutes. It's just different, is all.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” Gabriel said as he ran his hand through his hair and looked down at his feet. “Just wanted to check in on you, make sure you were okay. You know, you should wear your hair up more often, it suits you.”

He glanced back up at Christa, eyes passing briefly over the scar she hid from the world. she could feel her face beginning to flush under his gaze. She was about to speak when he suddenly interjected.

“Well, I guess since you're okay, you don't need me to stick around. Told Sam I wouldn't bother you.”

“Wait!” Christa squeaked out before he could snap himself away. “You don't have to go, Gabriel. I, uh, I was just about to make breakfast, and I wouldn't mind the company. You know, if you want.” She trailed off, doubting he would take her up on the offer.

“Really?” His eyebrows arched up in surprise and he gulped again. “Uh, okay...sure.”

“Okay then, c’mon.” Christa turned and continued on to the kitchen, letting out a silent sigh of relief.

 

Gabriel's POV

 

He watched for a second as she walked back out of the library, trying to regain his usual carefree manner, before heading after her. When Christa had walked in to the library, he had been flabbergasted. He had heard her walking through the bunker and knew she would soon pass by; what he wasn't expecting was for her to look like that! He had never seen her with her hair up before. When he looked up from the book, he nearly dropped it and the doughnut, his angelic reflexes the only thing stopping him from looking like a complete fool.

Father, she was stunning! Long, raven-black hair sleeked back in a ponytail, still slightly wet from her shower. Her face radiant without the help of make-up. She always looked beautiful to him, but at that moment, standing in the doorway, she was nearly glowing.

When he noticed that she was wearing another of Sam's shirts, he barely contained the rage that flared up in his chest. Judging by the confused look Christa had given him, he may not have contained all of it. He couldn't help himself though. Just the thought of them being that...chummy...with each other that she felt comfortable borrowing his clothes made his Grace boil. He made a mental note to keep an eye on her laundry situation. Heck, he’d do it himself, the human way, if it meant he wouldn’t have to keep seeing her wearing another guy’s clothes.

Begrudgingly though, he did have to admit that the particular shirt she had chosen this time looked quite good on her. Red and black were definitely her colors. The sleeves were short enough to show off a hint of muscle in her arms. She had left the top two buttons of the flannel undone, and when he noticed, he’d had to force himself not to just keep staring at her chest. He’d been so caught up in her beauty, that he didn’t even realize he was rambling until she pointed out how talkative he was being, causing him to begin to fidget again. He hadn’t wanted to go, but was afraid that if he stayed, he would just do or say something stupid that would embarrass him further. Christa caught him off-guard yet again when she asked if he’d like to join her for breakfast, his wings giving a small flutter when he heard the cute squeak in her voice. He hoped that he wasn’t misreading the way she started to fumble for words and the increase of speed he heard in her heartbeat as he started to follow her to the kitchen.

Walking behind her might not have been the best idea, compared to just snapping himself there ahead of her. It gave him too much time to admire her from a closer distance than he normally dared. Though the shirt hung down to about mid-thigh, he could still make out the natural sway of her hips and the slight curve where the shirt pushed outward over her butt. He felt his Grace begin stir and quickly looked up, not wanting to agitate it further. He thought instead, about the scar he had seen on the side of her neck. It was about two inches long and an inch or so thick, one end of it trailing behind her ear. It was the first time he had noticed it and he couldn't help but wonder what kind of monster had left such a mark. He swore to Dad that if the creature hadn't already been taken care of, he'd kill it himself.

He pulled himself out of his dark musings as they entered the kitchen, leaning against the door frame to watch her as she made her way over to the coffee maker.

“You know, I can just snap up whatever you want, right?” He arched an eyebrow at Christa when she turned back to look at him.

“I know, but I like cooking. I don’t get to do it as often anymore. Even when we're not on a hunt, you know how Dean likes to play Mr.Mom as much as possible. Besides, it's fun and relaxing.”

She started the coffee and walked over to the fridge to get the eggs and bacon. Leaning over to look further into it, Gabriel was granted a view he didn't often have the luck of seeing and had to cough to push back the groan that almost escaped his lips.

“Well, looks like I do need your help, after all. We're out of butter and jelly. Do you mind?” She asked, straightening up and turning to look at him, head cocked questioningly.

“Sure, anything for you, milady.” He said as he snapped up the butter. “What flavor jelly does Madame prefer this fine morning?” He asked, putting on a silly accent, hoping to keep the mood light. He hoped that if he could steer clear of any awkward silences, he wouldn't feel that usual need to leave before he lost control of himself.

“Hmm, how ‘bout you choose a flavor”, Christa said, smiling at his waiter-like manner. “Something unique.”

He thought for minute and snapped up an unlabeled jar, walking over from the door to hand it to her. As she reached out to take it from him, she grazed his hand for a fraction of a second, causing him to inhale sharply and he nearly dropped the jar as he tried to control his Grace yet again. The slight smell of burning ozone appeared for a second as his feathers rippled invisibly behind him.

They had never touched before. He had made a point of it in fact, worried that if he gave her even a short, friendly hug he might not be able to stop himself from crossing that line, no matter who was around. After what had just happened, it was easy to see he was right to do so. He nearly lost himself just from that slightest bit of contact. He quickly recovered himself, thankful once again for his angel reflexes.

“You okay, Gabriel?” Christa asked, taking the jar from him, her eyes slightly widened. “I think I shocked you. You know, static? When I touched you, I felt a small shock,” she explained upon seeing the confusion on his face.

“Oh, that. Yeah. I'm fine. It happens sometimes, you know...science,” he finished lamely, still trying to process the fact that she had felt it too. He cleared his throat and decided to change the subject. “So, now that you have what you need, what's next? Walk me through it. Never needed to actually cook anything before.”

Christa set the jar down on the counter by the stove and smiled at him. “Well, I was thinking I’d make some eggs over easy, bacon and toast. Simple but still delicious. I know you don't have to eat, but I can make you some if you'd like? There's plenty. But first, coffee. I like to let the eggs warm up a bit before cooking them. They cook better at room temperature.”

“Here, you go sit over there,” Gabriel gestured over to the usually empty space between the wall and the island in the center of the room. He snapped up a small table and two chairs like one would see outside a cafe. “I'll make the coffees, since you'll be cooking. How do you take yours again?”

“Oh, surprise me. I trust your judgment.” She graced him with a beaming smile as she walked over and sat in one of the chairs as Gabriel decided to treat her to one of his favorite types of coffee.

He walked over to join her with the two mugs, setting one down in front of her and watching as she admired the whipped cream and sprinkle topped drink before taking a sip. “Well, whaddaya think? Yay or nay?”

“It's delicious! What's in it?” She exclaimed, not noticing the little dot of whipped cream that remained in the cleft between her nose and top lip.

“It’s one of my personal creations. Vanilla, caramel, and a dash of nutmeg.” He chuckled, handing her a napkin and tapping his lip. “I'm glad you like it. Some find it too sweet.”

She took the napkin, wiped her lip and looked away for a minute, embarrassed. “No, it's perfect,” Christa said shyly not quite meeting his gaze.

Feeling one of those awkward silences starting to settle in around them, he struggled to think of something else to say. He had to keep the conversation going. Needed to keep himself distracted and not focus on how much he longed to kiss her at that moment, to taste how the vanilla and caramel mingled together on her tongue. He needed...he...he…*snap*


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 

Christa’s P.O.V.

 

What. The. Hell?! Christa had sat there for the past couple minutes staring at the empty seat across from her. She didn't know what it was that made him leave so suddenly. The two of them had been having a good time for once, laughing and talking more freely than she had ever thought possible. After she had taken a sip of the coffee, she had apparently gotten whipped cream on her face, which embarrassed her beyond measure, leaving Christa unable to face him as she tried to keep down the blush that threatened to color her cheeks.

It was during the ensuing silence that she suddenly heard a snap and felt a slight energy in the air, and sure enough when she lifted her head, Gabriel had vanished. Christa had to fight back the tears trying to push past her lashes as she closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths to keep herself from breaking down right then and there.

She took a sip of the masterpiece Gabriel had made her, trying to rid throat of the lump that had risen. What had been sweet and heavenly just minutes ago, now was cloying and heavy on her tongue. Christa struggled to swallow it down and then stood up from the table, taking the abandoned drinks to the sink. She poured both of them down the drain and washed out the mugs, drying them and placing them back in the cabinet before turning to the food she had taken out of the fridge earlier. She stood there, staring at the eggs and bacon, a sour feeling rising in her still-empty stomach.

She no longer felt hungry and doubted anything would stay down anyway. She grabbed the carton of eggs and package of bacon and placed them back in the fridge along with the butter Gabriel had snapped up. After putting the bread back in its place, Christa noticed the jar of jelly. She was half-tempted to give it a taste as he had never told what flavor he had chosen. She picked it up and as she tried to make up your mind on whether she could manage a bite, a single tear slipped past her lashes and landed on the jar.

Sighing heavily, she set the jar back on the counter and left the kitchen, casting a wistful last glance at the cafe table on her way out. Christa made her way through the bunker back to her room. As you passed by the room Gabe used as his whenever he stayed over, she paused. Oddly, she could feel a low hum of electricity eminating from behind the door. She had never felt this before and it piqued Christa’s curiosity. She felt a gentle shiver run up spine as she reached out to knock softly on the door. If Gabriel was indeed in there, he didn't answer.

Further dejected, she continued on to her room, pulling out her phone to check the time again. It was only 10:30. Too early to start drinking her sorrows away, not that was the best idea anyway on an empty stomach. She debated whether to just go back to sleep for a couple hours, but decided instead to do something constructive to pass the time. Christa left her room and headed to the laundry room the boys had set up in the back end of the bunker.

This time as she passed by Gabriel’s door, the strange energy she'd felt was gone. Not thinking she would ever get the chance to ask him about it, she made a note to look through the angel lore books in the library to see if there was any information on it. If not, she could always ask Cas when he got back.

As she entered the darkened laundry room, Christa used the light from her phone to find the pull-string that hung from the bare bulb in the middle of the room. The light blinded her for a second and as her eyes adjusted, she could make out the empty hampers sitting by the washing machine. Then she noticed that everyone's clothes were neatly stacked and folded, sitting on top of the dryer. Christa stood there for minute in confusion. She knew this had to be Gabe's doing; but it was just so incongruous to abrupt disappearing act that she couldn't make sense of it.

Christa went to gather up the piles and notice that while Sam and Dean's clothes smelled like the regular detergent, hers smelled like Gain’s Moonlight Breeze, a brand she didn’t often have around, as the boys thought it was too girly and she had already run out of it since the last time she had been able to go shopping. Christa’s heart clenched slightly at the gesture. She was more confused than ever. She pushed this new act of kindness to the back of her mind to dwell on later. Taking the clothes, she went to go put them away in their respective rooms.

After setting Dean’s clothes on his bed, Christa headed to Sam’s room to do the same. As she was about to set his clothes down, she noticed a strip of fabric sticking out from the stack. she separated the top half of the pile from the bottom and gasp as she realized that smack dab between Sam’s shirts and jeans, is the shirt she’d slept in last night, now shredded into nearly fifty pieces. She picked up a handful of the bits of fabric, once again confused beyond belief.

Why would Gabriel do something so kind for her one moment and something so childish the next? This back and forth behavior of his was making her dizzy. And why this shirt? A quick check through the rest of Sam's clothes showed that this was the only victim of Gabe's, whatever she wanted to call this. It's as if this shirt in particular had offended him somehow. Much as she thought about it, Christa just couldn't come up with a feasible reason why he would destroy this one shirt. She would just have to ask him herself if he ever showed his face again.

She gather up bits of fabric and pick her clothes up again and go back to her room. After putting all her clothes away and placing the scraps of Sam's shirt in her drawer to deal with later, Christa decided to head to the library to see if she could find any information about that strange energy she had felt earlier. Once in the library, she went and picked out the most useful books on angel lore they had and sat in one of the chairs, pulling out her phone and putting her playlist back on. Music always helped keep her from zoning out when doing research.

After an hour of searching through three musty books, Christa had found not a single mention of anything similar to what she had felt. Shutting the last leather-bound tome, she sat up and stretched, her muscles slightly aching from her sustained position. Focusing on reading had allowed her to forget about worrying over how her conversation with Gabriel had ended and the music had helped to ease Christa’s stress enough that she felt you could finally handle some food.

As she headed to the kitchen, she checked the time again. Noon. Plenty of time left in the day with nothing to do. She entered the kitchen and instantly notice the table is now gone, snapped back to the void from which it had been summoned. She took a breath and shake off the thoughts trying to push their way back to the front of her mind.   
She took a package of ground beef, buns and all her favorite toppings from the fridge and get to work making herself lunch, carefully avoiding glancing at the jelly still sitting on the counter. Though if she had looked over at it, she would have noticed that now there was a red ribbon tied around it with a note-tag attached.

Just as she had finished fixing her burger just the way she liked it, Christa noticed that static in the air again. She whirled around to see what could be causing it and her mind dragged up a memory from this morning. The energy she felt was almost identical to the shock she had felt when she had touched Gabriel's hand. Her lips parted in a small gasp at this realization.

“Gabriel?” Christa spoke out into the seemingly empty room.

 

Gabriel's P.O.V.

 

Shit. He had hoped against hope this wouldn't happen. As soon as he had felt that spark this morning, he had worried about what it had meant. At first, Christa didn't seem to notice anything after that initial contact. But after he had run off to gain control over himself, he knew she had hesitated at his door just a little too long. As though something was keeping her from being convinced he had left the bunker completely.

When he heard her make it to her room, he made quick work of the laundry and exacted a tiny, if not petty, bit of revenge on Sam. A shirt was a small price to pay for the ire he had caused Gabriel, what with the clothes-sharing and that horrid display he'd had to witness the night before. By the time she had left her room again, his rage had dwindled enough for him to tamper his Grace back down to workable levels.

After an hour or so of wondering how to fix the mess he had no doubt created between them this morning, he could sense that she was calmer than she had been. He hadn't been able to pinpoint the emotions had felt radiating through his door when she had paused outside it as they were all projecting at the same time, tangling together, but he thought he had detected a note of hurt somewhere in the mix. Since he no longer could feel her emotions with the same intensity as earlier, he decided it might be a good time to check in on her. Just to gauge whether the progress they had started to make in their friendship was still attainable.

As soon as he had walked into the kitchen, he was once again taken aback by the beauty of her. Even during the simple task of cooking, she exuded a grace he had yet to see in any other human. Her back was to him and took a moment to take in her form. Every curve exactly perfect. The heat from the stove causing a bead of sweat to form on the back of her neck.

He had the sudden urge to confess everything to Christa right then and there. He longed to feel her skin on his again. To feel that shock that awoken every nerve of his being. He could feel his Grace surging up again. As it did, she suddenly whipped around and stared directly at him, face full of confusion, as if she knew he was there.

“Gabriel?” She asked.

And that was all it took. He knew then that he had been correct in his assumptions about that first touch. They were connected now. Well, fuck. It would be nearly impossible to hide himself from her now. As long as he felt this away about her, his Grace would give him away.

He had no choice now but to make himself visible. He could see it in her face, Christa knew it was him. He just hoped he could think of an excuse for leaving the way he did and find a way to rectify the situation.

“Hey, kiddo.” He said in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone as he appeared before her in the doorway.

“What the hell, Gabe”, she exclaimed. “How come I could sense you? And more importantly why were you just lurking there anyway?”

Gabriel could hear the anger slowly rising in her voice. He could feel small tendrils of it rolling off her skin.

“Look, I wasn't exactly lurking, okay? I was just coming to check on you, and figured you might not want to see me after what happened this morning. As for you sensing me, well it happens sometimes. Let's just leave it at that.”

“Oh”, Christa said softly, her eyes slowly hardening as Gabriel could suddenly detect that hint of hurt creeping back into her emotions. Why was he suddenly more attuned to her mind? He didn't exactly want to follow that train of thought just yet. First, fix this. “Well, speaking of this morning, do mind explaining exactly what the fuck that was about?”

He gulped as he tried to find an answer as close to the truth without telling her outright how he felt. “Uh, yeah, look I'm sorry about just snapping out of here like that. That was stupid. I just, I got caught up in my own mind. I’m sorry, really.”

She nodded her head as she thought over his words. He could feel the anger easing away, though the hurt remained. Gabriel groaned internally at that. The fact that he was the cause of it killed him. They had finally been on a good footing, and he had ruined it. Chalk it up to just another reason why he would never deserve Christa’s affection.

“I’ll just go and let you eat your lunch. You probably don't want me around now.” Gabriel turned to go back to his room.

“No”, she sighed. “Please stay. Let's try this again, okay? Thank you for doing the laundry, by the way.”

“Oh. You're welcome. It was the least I could do.” He was surprised yet relieved she didn't mention Sam's shirt. One less thing to have to awkwardly explain. “ You know, I can whip you up some fries to go with that?” He quirked an eyebrow up questioningly at her, waving his hand towards her burger.

“Hmm, sure. Fries would be great. Nothing fancy though, okay? Just simple, greasy fries.”

He obliged her request with a simple snap of his fingers, a sizeable pile of crispy french fries appearing on her plate. She grabbed the plate and followed him to go sit at the table in the war room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song is Elephant Love Medley from Moulin Rouge  
> Lyrics in italics

Chapter Five

 

Christa’s P.O.V.

 

Christa had finished her lunch with Gabriel without incident, finally able to have a conversation that didn’t leave her fumbling for words or wanting to flee in embarrassment. He had been quiet at first, watching her eat for a few minutes, and she had started to feel self-conscious. Thankfully, just as she could feel the flush starting to rise to her cheeks, he began talking. He didn’t further explain this morning’s upset, and she were loathe to bring it up either, so she decided to just let it go. The two of them carried on, talking about this and that, every now and then Gabriel reaching across the table to take a fry from her plate, dipping it into the chocolate frosty he had snapped up.

When she had finished eating, they continued to talk for about an hour, till Christa got a call from Sam asking her to see to go look up something in the library. She excused herself and went to go find the book Sam had named. She quickly found the book which was just within her reach and spent the next twenty minutes flipping through the pages and relaying the information, stopping every now and then to send him pictures of symbols that she couldn’t quite interpret. After hanging up, she put the book back and went back to the war room, slightly surprised to see Gabriel was still there.

“Boys need help with their homework” Gabe questioned, an almost annoyed smirk on his face.

“Yeah, seems they came across an older nest of vamps than they’ve encountered before. Sam said they’re stronger than the others they’ve fought, even the ones that aren’t pure-blood. They got half of them before the rest made their escape. It might take an extra day to track down the rest.”

Christa sat back down at the table, propping her feet up. She considered something for a moment before speaking again. “You know, I’m getting kinda bored just sitting around here, want to go do something?”

“Like what?” Gabriel looked at her cautiously.

“Well, it’s five o’clock, somewhere right? How about we go to a bar, there’s one in town we haven’t been to yet.” She cocked an eyebrow at him as she spoke, wanting desperately to get out of the bunker for a while.

“Uh, sure. We taking one of the cars from the garage, or would you rather I just zap us there?”

“It would probably be best if you took us there. That way I don’t have to worry about driving back”, she responded, getting up from her chair to pull out her phone from her pocket.

 She quickly looked up the address of the bar and an inconspicuous place for Gabriel to snap them to. Christa handed him her phone to look at the map and made her way around the table to where he was standing. He handed her back her phone and grabbed ahold of the sleeve of her shirt, careful not to brush against her skin, lest he cause another spark from the contact. She closed her eyes as she felt reality shift around her, and when she opened them again they were standing in the alley behind the bar. The two of them walked around to the front of the building, Gabriel’s hand lingering on her sleeve, the warmth from the touch slowly sinking through the layer of fabric.

Christa walked in and stood in the doorway for a few seconds as her vision adjusted to the sudden dimness. As she looked around, she was surprised by the rather sizable crowd in the bar. It may be Saturday, but its barely 2:30 in the afternoon, she weren't expecting the town to have so many day-drinkers. The bar is rather large, bigger than the other two she had already gone to with the boys.

As Gabriel and Christa headed up to the bar, she noticed why the place was livelier than she had thought it would be. Set up at the back of the building was a stage with a banner over it reading ‘Karaoke Saturday’. When they got to the counter, she found a flyer and quickly scanned it for the start time. It started in a hour. She figured all the early birds were getting a head-start on fueling up on liquid courage.

Christa ordered a Hurricane and Gabriel ordered a Purple Nurple, at which she just shook her ahead, having heard the story of how the boys first met Gabe over a decade ago. He slams back the shot, orders another and tells the bartender to keep them coming as they went to find an empty booth. Gabriel sits down, handing Christa her drink as he sets down his second shot along with the beer he ordered. She quirk an eyebrow up at him.

“You never cease to surprise me, Gabe. Beer and a drink that’s basically a cranberry-vodka? Neither of those are particularly sweet. I’d have figured you'd order something with an umbrella.”

“Nah. When it comes to drinks, the simpler the better. ‘Sides, it takes a lot more for me to even feel a buzz, remember?” He took a swig from the beer, letting out a contented sigh as he set it back down and looked at her.

She nodded at him in slight wonder and took a sip of her drink. She noted that the bartender hadn't skimped on the alcohol like most other places do. She made a note to herself not to drink too much too fast. Didn't want to go making a fool of herself, now did she?

\-------------------------------

An hour and two drinks later, Christa was feeling well relaxed as a man got up on the stage and announced the start of the karaoke, calling up the first person on the list. As the music started, she couldn't help but smirk as she recognized the beginning of The Offspring’s ‘You’re Gonna Go Far Kid’. It was one of the songs that never failed to make her think of Gabriel. She looked over at him to find him considering the stage with a wistful smile on his face.

Christa went up to the bar to get another drink, letting the music surround her. The guy singing wasn't half-bad, and it sounded nearly as good as the original. By the time she got her drink and headed back to the booth, the next person headed up to the stage. The opening guitar work of Pat Benatar’s ‘Invincible' rang out from the speakers as she sat down.

The power of the music and her third drink thrummed in her veins, making Christa bolder than she had thought possible at the moment. She considered herself for a second before turning her attention to Gabriel.

“Hey, Gabe, you ever done karaoke”, she asked the archangel, a nervous flutter running through her chest.

“Of course”, he replied. “Hard to spend so many centuries down here and avoid that gem of human creation. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was wondering if you'd like to do a duet with me”, she asked with hope in her eyes.

“Huh. Sure, cupcake. What did you have in mind?”

She flashed him a quick smile as she got up to find the sign-up sheet. “It's a surprise. If you don't know the words already, I'm sure you can just snap them into your memory.”

Christa signed the both of them up and went back to the booth, determined to be just buzzed enough to push back any lingering doubts and fears by the time they called their names. Over the course of the next half hour, she finished off her drink and two shots of whiskey, feeling pleasantly tipsy but still sober enough to talk without slurring. Her nervousness abated, she watched Gabriel closely as he consumed more Purple Nurples. As the current song faded, Christa straightened up and prepared herself mentally, knowing they were next on the list.

The man came back on stage and called out their names. Gabriel got up first and reached a hand out to Christa to help her out of the booth. As their hands touched, instead of the electric shock she had experienced this morning, she felt a tickling warmth spreading from his hand to hers and up, throughout her body. She smiled up at him and the two of the, made their way up to the stage.

The man in charge handed them their microphones and they waited for the song to start. As the name of the song appeared on the screen, Gabriel let out a small laugh and looked over at Christa. “Really, sugar?”

“What, it's one of my favorite movies! It makes a perfect duet.” She crinkled her nose and held in a giggle.

The two of them turned to face the bar patrons as the words to “Elephant Love Medley” showed up on the screen.

Hoping the crowd was buzzed enough not to care that the beginning of the song was more talking then singing, Gabriel began, taking of course, the part of Christian, while she would be his Satine.

“ _Love is many, splendored thing, love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love._ ” His voice carried through the speakers, a voice that at the same time as being non-threatening, commanded to be listened to.

Christa gulped and quickly put on the British accent that she were quite proud of as she spoke out her part. _“Please don't start that again.”_

Back and forth they went as the music kicked in. When the time came to actually sing, he turned to face her. She noticed he was acting just like Christian did in the movie, right down to the hand gestures, so she decided to do the same. Chuck knows, she’d watched the movie enough times to have Satine’s part memorized.

She turned away from him at the line _“You crazy fool, I won't give in to you”_ and back again at his spoken _“Don't”_ , now fully immersed in the performance. What Christa hadn't expected was the way her heart clenched as she looked into his eyes as he softly sang out _“don’t leave me this way”_. She took a breath as she quickly prepared for the next verse, praying her voice wouldn't be as shaky as she suddenly felt.

_“You'd think that people would've had enough of silly love songs.”_ Christa managed to squeak out, thankful that this part of the song was softly sung in the movie too.

_“I look around me and I see it isn't so, oh no.”_ Gabriel took a step towards her as he sang.

_“Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs.”_ Breathe in, breathe out, don’t look him in the eye.

Another step. _“Well, what’s wrong with that”_ , step, _“I’d like to know”_ , step, his hand reaching out to her and caressing her chin, nudging her face up to look at him, _“’cause here I go, again.”_

As his verse continued, Christa could feel the warmth from his touch spreading through her once more, her nervousness ebbing away and her heartbeat calming again. She stared back at him, leaning in to his touch, her resolve to see this through, hardening. Smirking, she sang back at him.

_“Love makes us act like we are fools. Throw our lives away, for one happy day.”_

__“_ We can be heroes”,_ he belted out, his hand sliding away from her chin, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. _“Just for one day.”_

Slipping back into the scene they were playing out, she turned away from him, shaking her head. __“_ You, you will be mean.”_

_“No, I won’t.”_

_“And I, I’ll drink all the time!”_  She prepared for the next few lines, reminding herself it was just a song, he was just performing for the crowd.

__“_ We should be lovers”,_ he crooned.

__“_ We can’t do that.”_ Christa looked back at him, her head cast downward, looking up at him through her lashes.

_“We should be lo-oo-overs,”_ Gabriel grabbed her hand, pulling her around to face him, caught up in the song just as much as she was. _“And that’s a fact.”_

_“No, nothing would keep us together.”_

_“We could steal time, just for one day.”_  The look in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine as they continued singing to each other, forgetting that there was anyone else in the room.

_“We could be heroes, forever and ever”_ , their voices joined together in a delicious harmony that would’ve given Nicole and Ewan a run for their money.

As the operatic crescendo built up around them, Christa felt her heart thumping loudly in her chest and she could feel a tingle of electricity coming from his hand again. This time, it didn’t shock either of them but instead was gentle and soothing. Neither of them noticed when the music ended. They just stared at each other until the noise of the applauding crowd broke through and she let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. Christa smiled at Gabriel and quickly ducked her head as she felt a blush rising to her cheeks.

“Gabriel and Christa, everybody!” The announcer came back on stage to retrieve their mics and the two of them headed back to their booth.

“Wowzers, Christa, I had no idea you could sing like that! You should do it more often.” Gabriel looked at her warmly as she sat down. “Let me go get you something to drink, you must be parched after that performance. Another one of those?” He gestured at her empty glass.

“No, I’ll have a beer this time, thanks Gabe.”

As he went to get the drinks, she took the moment alone to contemplate the craziness that had just occurred. She was ecstatic that nothing had gone wrong up on stage, she had gotten through it without completely embarrassing herself. But, those looks Gabriel had given her had thrown her for a loop. She was wary not to get her hopes up that the lyrics of the song had meant the same to him as they had to her. Christa was glad that the two of them were able to finally get along and didn’t want to push the issue and end up ruining everything again. Unfortunately, she also had a nagging curiosity about why his touch no longer shocked her, but still emitted a type of energy she hadn’t yet encountered with other angels. It might be because he was an archangel, but she had a feeling it went deeper than that.

She was brought back from her thoughts as she saw Gabriel coming back with the beers, and she smiled at him as he handed her one of them. “You know, you were pretty awesome yourself up there. I guess I should’ve expected it though, seeing as how you are the archangel of languages.”

“Heh. Well, someone’s done their homework, haven’t they? And, yes, singing happens to be one of my many talents.” He flashed his flirty smirk and raised his eyebrow.

The two of them drank their beers and listened to the next two performers in silence, this time just enjoying each others presence, no trace of the normal awkwardness they usually felt. After the two of them finished, Christa asked Gabriel to snap them back home, not wanting to travel past the mellow buzz she felt into the nauseously drunk category. Gabriel went and paid the tab and they walked out and back around to the alley they had arrived in. Once again, she closed her eyes as reality bent around her, waiting till she felt ground firmly beneath your feet before opening them again.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is Invisible Touch by Genesis  
> Lyrics in italics

Chapter Six

 

Christa’s P.O.V.

 

When she opened her eyes again, Christa’s breath caught in her throat as she looked over at Gabriel. The light from from his Grace hadn't completely dissipated yet and the beauty she saw shining through left tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She quickly turned her face away to regain control of her emotions and forced out a shaky breath. Letting go of his hand, she stepped away from the bottom of the staircase where they had landed and headed towards the library. She knew where Dean kept the good whiskey hidden and she needed something to calm her rising nerves.

“Would you care for another drink, Gabe”, Christa asked, unsure whether she wanted him to say yes or no.

“Not right now, sugar, thanks. Actually, I've gotta head out for a bit. Need to go check on something. Nothing to do with the case, the boys are fine,” he hurriedly added, seeing the worried look on her face. “Angel stuff. I should be back in a few hours. If anything happens, just call for me, okay?”

She gave a quick nod at him as he left, the sound of his wings lingering in the air for a minute as she sighed, half-disappointed he hadn't stayed, half-relieved for the time alone. She grabbed the bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label from the cabinet and poured out a glass, taking out her phone to start up her playlist again. She hit the shuffle button and barked out a laugh as “Heat of the Moment” came on. Plugging the phone into the speaker dock Sam had set up on the table against the wall, she sipped your whiskey and plopped into one of the chairs to relax for a bit.

 

Gabriel's P.O.V.

 

Gabriel hadn't gone very far. He hadn't even left the bunker. He landed in his room and sat upon the bed, crossing his legs and closing his eyes so he could center himself. He needed answers on why the shock he had felt from Christa’s touch had turned into a warmth. To find those answers, he would need to look deep within himself, within his Grace, where all the knowledge of the inner workings of celestial beings was kept. All information about the angels was stored within every angel's Grace, so that they could never truly forget it. He was pretty sure he knew the answer already, but he needed to be sure.

He slowly sank into a meditative state as his consciousness retreated within his Grace, travelling along each atom of his being, as he sought out the knowledge he required. After what felt like hours, he reached the absolute center of his grace; a cluster of light brighter than the others, vibrating at a slower speed than the rest of him. Every other atom seemed to revolve around it. He tentatively neared it. He hadn't acknowledged this part of himself in millennia, had never needed to. Slowly, he reached out for it, knowing that doing so would allow him to call to mind all the forgotten knowledge it held once again. As he grasped it, it sunk slowly into his hand. When he came back to himself, it would be at the forefront of his memories. He made his way back to his vessel and opened his eyes, blue light flashing strongly within them as he processed the reclaimed information.

He had the answers he sought. He knew now, there would be no denying his feelings. He knew what he needed to do. He slowly disentangled himself from the bed and made his way through the bunkers halls, thoughts racing as he got closer to the library. He could hear music drifting from the library, where had left her.

_“Well I've been waiting, waiting here so long._

_But thinking nothing, nothing could go wrong._

_But now I know, she has a built-in ability_

_To take everything she sees_

_And now it seems I'm falling, falling for her.”_

Gabriel groaned internally at how well the song fit the moment. Squaring his shoulders, he continued on to the library. It was now or never.

 

Christa's P.O.V.

 

Christa had been in the library for the past few hours going back and forth between rechecking the lore books for information on angels and replaying what had happened during karaoke in her mind. She had spaced out her drinks, not knowing how long Gabriel would be gone. She wanted to stop herself from becoming nervous but also wanted to make sure she wasn't trashed by the time he got back.

Green Day's cover of “I Fought the Law” ended as she finished her third glass of Johnny and Genesis’ “Invisible Touch” started up. Christa turned the volume up further and set her glass down on the table, letting the bouncy tempo wash over her. Checking the doorways, she got up and stretched, the need to move overtaking her suddenly.

She began to dance around the library, getting caught up in the song, thinking of how the lyrics described so closely the way she felt about Gabriel.

_“She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah._

_She reaches in, grabs right hold of your heart._

_She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah._

_It takes control, and slowly tears you apart.”_

He had grabbed hold of Christa’s heart. And, truth be told, she didn't want it back. Whether or not her feelings could ever be returned, he was the only one she would ever want. She didn't know when it happened, but it was him or nothing. No one else could ever make her heart flutter the way he did just by looking at her.

Christa made her way over to the speaker and set the song to repeat, not wanting to lose the beat. She stood there for a minute, swaying her hips to the music. She spun around in a bouncy circle, arms up in the air...and stopped immediately halfway through the turn when she saw Gabriel leaning against the doorway.

“Gabriel”, she squeaked out, a blush heating her face as her heart hammered in her chest. How long had he been standing there? How much of her silly dancing had he seen? Chuck, she was so embarrassed.

“Hey, cupcake”, he said, a smile tugging at his lips as he straightened up from the door frame. Christa almost missed the flash of blue in his eyes as he stepped into the room. “Nice moves. You really like this song, huh?”

She ducked her head and nodded, averting her eyes from his strong gaze. When she looked back up he had crossed half the room, his eyes still intently on her, as though he was trying to see into her soul. “So, did you finish your, uh, ‘angel stuff’? Wasn't expecting you back for another hour or so.”

“Yeah. I got it all worked out.” He stopped about a foot away from her, his head subconsciously bobbing in time with song still playing on repeat.

__“_ I don't really know her, I only know her name. _

_But once she crawls under your skin, you're never quite the same._

_And now I know,_

_She's got something you just can't trust_

_And it's something mysterious,_

_And now it seems I'm falling, falling for her.”_

Christa stared into his eyes as the music surrounded them both, neither of them moving for a full minute. She managed to break the song's spell and walked over to the leather chairs, feeling Gabriel's eyes watching she as you went. She tried to steady her breathing as she sat down. She willed her hands not to shake as she reached for the bottle of whiskey on the small table between the set of chairs. Pouring herself a generous serving, she looked up at him. “Care for that drink, now?”

Gabriel tilted his head in that bird-like manner Christa had come to associate with angels and smiled. “Sure, make it a double.” He walked over slowly and sat in the other chair, turning to face her.

She began to wonder if angels didn't need to blink. He seemed to be watching her every move, which only made her nerves more tightly wound. By some miracle she’d managed to pour out his drink without spilling anything. As she handed him his glass, her hands touched again. The warmth she'd felt before seemed stronger now and his eyes flashed again, the light lasting a second longer than before. Now she knew you hadn't been imagining it. Her eyes widened as she tried to catch her breath.

“Why do your eyes do that”, the words blurted out before she could stop them.

“Do what”, he asked cautiously.

“They keep flashing even though you're not using your powers. I've seen them flash when you're appearing or when you're using your powers in a fight, but never anytime else.”

“Oh, uh, well...that's kinda hard to explain. And, um, you might not like the reason.” He drew his hand back and downed the glass of liquor in one gulp, his eyebrows drawing tight in concern.

Christa bit her lip as she considered whether to push the subject as he grabbed the bottle and poured another drink. He sat there, just watching her, almost as if he wanted her to ask him again. So, she took a gulp of whiskey, letting the burn in her throat lend her the strength to do so. “Please, explain it. Even if I don't like the answer, as you think, I won't get mad or anything. I promise.”

How could he resist? Christa sat there looking back at him, confusion and hope swimming in her eyes. “Well, as you know, the light you see is my Grace showing through. It's about as much of it as a human can see without getting hurt. Sometimes, we can't always contain it if our emotions are too strong. Even us Archangels. A flash of it can slip out now and again if we don't reel it in quick enough.” He paused, at a loss on how to continue.

“What kind of emotions could be making it happen now”, she pressed, her heart rate rising again.

He took an unnecessary breath and a sip of Johnny before he continued. “It has to do with why I went off when we got back. The emotions that are causing these, well I guess we can call ‘em ‘''Grace flares’, I was able to hold them back before. Now I guess that control is slipping. Or maybe I just don't want hold back anymore…” He trailed off and tore his eyes from her looking into the liquid in his glass as if he could find solace there.

“You said that I might not like the reason. Nothing you just said sounds like it even has anything to do with me.” Christa set her glass down on the table and leaned towards him. She placed a finger under his chin and lifted his head up to look at her. “Gabe, tell me.”

His honey-colored eyes darkened slightly as he looked into her chocolate colored ones. “Don't you see? It has everything to do with you. Every time I'm near you, I can barely keep a grip on my Grace. Why do you think I leave so quickly when we're alone? Without someone else to distract me from you, I start to lose control over it. And I…”, looking away, he lets out a heavy sigh, “I couldn't let myself lose control. I can't. If I did, I would risk losing you, forever.” He hesitated again and looked at her, eyes even darker than before. “Say something Christa, please.”

She sat there, mouth agape as she struggled to process what she had heard. “ I-I don't understand. How could I make you lose control? I'm, I'm nothing. I'm just a hunter, covered in scars and sometimes worse. How could I make anyone lose control over their emotions, let alone an Archangel? How could someone as important and beautiful as you ever see anything more than just an average human?” Tears began to well up in her eyes as she spoke, her words turning into babbling as she lost focus. He couldn't possibly mean what she thought he meant. He couldn't possibly be saying that he felt the same as her. She covered her face to hide the tears, the pain.

“Don't ever say that you're ‘just average’! Christa, you are the most beautiful creature my father has made. Your scars? They are nothing to ever be ashamed of. They are proof of how much you have survived. They only add to your beauty, anyone who can't see that, doesn't deserve to know you. Take pride in them, they are your strength.” He wrapped his hands around her wrists, the warmth emanating from them making its way up her arms. He gently pulled her hands away from her face, his thumbs rubbing slow circles on the inside of her wrists. The motion calmed her slightly and she drew in a shaky breath that ended in a hiccup. He reached a hand up to her face to wipe away a stray tear as he continued. “You are strong, smart as anyone I've ever met; hell, I've seen you fight creatures that would send most hunters running for the hills. Honey, you're a badass. You're fierce and sharp as a whip. If you had any idea how I see, how the world sees you, you would never doubt the effect you have on me. You could have your pick of any man out there. That's why I've struggled and stopped myself from saying anything to you. How could I ever hope that you could see me as more than just a friend? Why would you ever want some coward who spent so long running from everything, when you run towards danger. What chance do I stand?”

Christa stared at him for a few seconds, at a loss for words. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest at this point. He-he had feelings for her? She had an effect on him? Him, a creature of beauty and grace. What fools the pair of them were. They were both so lost in their fucked up self-esteem issues that neither of the, had dared to believe themselves worthy of the other. A sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob bubbled up from her throat, unbidden. She took her free hand and laid it over his, still cradling her cheek.

“Gabriel, oh Gabriel, ha, we are both so stupid. All this time, I thought I could never hope to even be noticed by you, that way. Every time you found an excuse to leave so suddenly, I thought it was ‘cause you wanted nothing to do with me.” Tears slipped past Christa’s lashes as she choked back a sob, trying to get it all out in the open once and for all. “Gabe, you're the only one I could ever want. I-Gabriel, I...I love you. I have loved you for so long.”

His eyes flashed again, brighter than before. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as the blue light lingered in his eyes, dimming slowly. His other hand came up to frame caress her other cheek as he leaned closer to her. He rubbed his nose against hers, his lips ghosting over hers. “Oh, Christa, sweetheart. Say it again, please.”

“I love you, Gabriel”, she breathed against his cheek. She breathed in his scent, a mix of chocolate and whiskey, a smell that was so perfectly him, it nearly made her dizzy.

He pulled back to look into her eyes. “Christa, I love you too. I have waited for you longer than you could ever imagine.” He leaned in again, stopping mere centimeters from her lips, letting her make the final decision.

She quickly closed the gap between them and crushed her lips to his. At first, neither of them moved, they both soaked in the moment, letting it last just a little bit longer. Christa’s hands made their way up around his neck, her fingers sinking into his hair. She pulled him slightly closer to her, her tongue darting out to brush against his lips, seeking entrance. He obliged immediately, letting out a low groan as her tongue slipped over his. The sound vibrated through her, straight to her core. Christa let out a gasp as desire began to build up in her.

He suddenly tugged her out of her chair and sat back, pulling her into his lap without breaking the kiss. His hands made a slow path down her back before settling on her hips, his grip tightening slightly as she deepened the kiss. She continued like that for a minute longer, until her damned human need for oxygen won out over the fire running through her veins.

She pulled away slightly, gasping for air, and Gabriel took the opportunity to work his way along her jawline and down her neck. He peppered Christa’s neck with nips and kisses, lingering at her pressure point for a moment, causing her to gasp in surprise.

“Oh sweets, you're so fucking beautiful”, he whispered against her skin, not failing to notice the blush that crept up her neck at his words. “So beautiful.”

His hands traveled back up her body and she ground down into him, eliciting the most delicious sounds from him as she felt his arousal straining against the fabric of his jeans. She let out a moan as she struggled to gain more friction. Christa tugged at his hair, pulling him from her neck as she dived in for another kiss, this time savoring the pure taste of him, the whiskey taste failing to overpower the hint of honey and chocolate she suspected would always be there.

His hand snaked around to cup her breast, his thumb brushing against her nipple through the fabric of her, Sam's, shirt. When he remembered that fact, he broke the kiss to let out a small growl. “I never want to see you wearing Sam's shirts ever again. You have no idea how I felt seeing you in someone else's clothes. Sam's lucky I didn't snap his ass into oblivion. Especially after that little display he made hugging you goodbye.”

Christa looked down at him, realization dawning on her face. “So, that's why Sam's other flannel is now resting in pieces? You got jealous?” She let out a giggle. “Trust me, Gabe, you will never have anything to be jealous of. I love you, and only you, always.”

He pulled her back down to him, kissing his way up her neck to her ear. “And I love you, forever. My human.”

“My angel”, she rasped as he nipped her earlobe, his hand working slowly at the buttons of the flannel. “Oh, Gabriel.”

“I need to know you're okay with this, you know, angels and permission. If you want to stop, let me know now, while I still can. We can take all the time you need, but once I get started, I won't be able to stop. I need to hear you say it, Christa.”

“Don't you dare stop. I want this. I want you, all of you Gabriel. I need you. We've waited long enough.”

“Well, then it's a good thing the boys and my brother won't be back any time soon. I plan on taking my time.” He pulled back to look at her, his eyes dark with lust, a pinpoint of his Grace glowing in their centers. “Your room or mine, sweetheart?”

“Yours”, Christa sighed.

He braced a hand against the center of her back, holding her close to him as he snapped the two of them to his room, where he would spend the night showing her just how beautiful she was.


End file.
